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Finally, Friday arrived without any special hiccups, and feeling grateful like never before, I left the hospital early.

Having successfully finished my shift for the week, I spent much of the afternoon lying in bed, sleeping until nightfall hinted that I should get ready for the big party before Nia arrived.

I wasn't used to attending such events; something significant always seemed to prevent me from going. Yet there I was, ready to celebrate the start of a new year alongside colleagues and superiors from the hospital, unless an emergency arose, which I believed was unlikely that day.

I adjusted my elegant dress, styled my hair in a simple way, applied natural makeup, and when I felt completely ready, I looked at myself one last time in the bathroom mirror.

I had changed so much since Jack had died; I wasn't the same person inside or out. I had aged a bit; I no longer spent most of my time with a furrowed brow, smiled whenever I felt like it, and laughed without apparent reason.

My